few studies that deal with his late output, spanning the
last twenty years of the artist���s life (1490-1510). Perhaps
Wilhelm Bode summarised many people���s perceptions
by saying: ���how scanty are the productions of this later
period, how far inferior to all his later works!���3
Taking the example of Botticelli���s fragments of an
Adoration of the Magi, this thesis will argue that his late
style is a further development of the ideas which underlay
his earlier works. Closely examining the content, material
and style, it will make the point that Botticelli���s late style
took shape not just contemporaneously with, but even
prior to Savonarola���s arrival in Florence in 1490. Hence,
his relevance to the understanding of Botticelli���s late style
will be questioned.
Bode, Wilhelm von (1845-1929)
German art historian and curator, ennobled in 1913 for his cultural achievements,
most notably the establishment of the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, now Bode-Museum,
on what is now part of the Museum Island and UNESCO World Heritage Site. He
became general director of the Berlin Museums in 1905 and his relationships with
the imperial family, dealers and collectors throughout Europe enabled him to amass
a world-famous collection, making Berlin the cultural center of Germany. He also
published widely on Italian Renaissance art, including an influential monograph on
Botticelli.
HYLAND
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